My Day at St Luke's

Well, pre-op day went rather well even though the day held a semi crisis before we even left the house.  We woke up in time and ready to hit the Westpark Tollway early when we discovered we could not find my keys, anywhere.  Because they are prone to wander, Lord I feel it, I have made the habit of keys are in place on the entry way table, island in kitchen or in the laundry room.  Not in any of those places and instead of getting frantic, we began to rethink the day before.  I deduced that Roy had probably used my keys to move Sequisha into the garage but he insisted he handed the keys back to me.  No, I had never given them to him in the first place.  I checked the pockets of the pants I had on yesterday while he checked the pockets of his coat.  Eureka!  He found them.  As we pulled out of the driveway Roy said, let's go back I want to check the front door.  So we took another lap around the cul de sac and when Roy was satisfied we were locked up tight, we hit the road. 

Pre-op admission was relatively easy and it is where I finally turned in my directive where it was noted it was the thickest directive she had ever seen.  We headed over for lab work and then went to Radiology.  I have always had good veins and most nurses comment they are grateful for easy sticks and draws.  Today, my veins were not present or accounted for.  Four attempts on my left and right arms...during the second attempt that wave of heat and light headiness was overtaking me.  Roy was using the official papers to fan me.  Benito decided that maybe I needed a break since I was close to passing out.  Roy had prepared himself for the day with snacks and iced drinks in his computer backpack.  He handed me a frozen ice bag and a cold can of iced tea.  Ice bag on the back of my neck and tea held onto my wrist.  It didn't help that the room we were in was blazing hot.  So they brought in reinforcements and Thelma came to do the job but this time she tried my left arm and success on first strike or so we thought...So I'm in the CT thing and on the first injection of whatever they are injecting into you, the port started to leak.  My vein had delayed collapse and so right there in the CT machine she did another stick on the side of my wrist.  It held and the scan was able to be completed.  By this time I looked like Matthew Crawly returning home from battle.  I am wrapped up in more adhesive bandages.  The majority of them were red but I did spot a lovely lime green bandage on my left arm.  I had about 45 minutes before the TEE so I told her I was going to stand outside their door and say, don't let this happen to you.  Nah, got dressed and headed up to the third floor for the TEE. In the journey to the third floor I looked through the paperwork I carried with me from place to place.  The doctor's notes from my last visit were included.  Kind of interesting only they had I was 68 not 58 but the most surprising thing he had written, always such a pleasant patient. Made the 68 mistake easier to overlook and so we continued on for the last procedure of the day.  I have had two of these before and most of the staff assigned to my TEE were rather surprised that this was my third TEE.  One of the nurses says to me, let's hope this is the last one.  I asked her to rephrase that statement so it didn't sound like a finality of life.  See, they get the directive...and they....  The nice thing, the good looking tech from Milan Italy was with me again.  While we waited for the cardiologist I visited with him because I loved hearing his voice and the boy is such good looking eye candy.  Meanwhile Roy is sitting over in a chair working from his iPhone.  One of the last things I remember hearing as I drifted off to sleep was, Nancy, I am going to have to go into the office after I take you home. 

I never remember much after this procedure.  I can never remember getting myself dressed and ask Roy every time, did you help me?  He told me you can get dressed in your sleep, which I guess I did.  I woke up in a room with other dazed and confused patients.  There was Roy sitting right beside me with the warm and friendly glow of his iPhone as he answered emails.  No really, he is the best.  He made a lot of sacrifices and schedule changes to be with me today.  We had not anticipated the TEE and sedation.  This is when Peggy would have been my side kick and partner in crime. 

Even with going into the office new on Roy's schedule, he took the time to stop at Le Peep so I could eat cinnamon pecan pancakes and have some coffee.  Tony, the waiter we liked so much at the Le Peep on Woodway when it first opened has now returned back to Westheimer.  So glad he was our waiter, he is such a kind man. 

I came home and napped and now I am up and about because Tori will be here soon to give me my shot.  After all the sticks and blood draws today, I think an injection by my belly button should be a piece of cake.  I hope she can find enough belly fat.  Ha, of course I joke, there is a plethora at her disposal.  I am having her sign a release form that she cannot reveal any belly or jiggle information about me.